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The differences between cook/servers and kitchen cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen cook has an average salary of $31,452, which is higher than the $29,716 average annual salary of a cook/server.
The top three skills for a cook/server include customer service, customer orders and safety standards. The most important skills for a kitchen cook are dishes, food handling, and cleanliness.
| Cook/Server | Kitchen Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $29,716 | $31,452 |
| Hourly rate | $14.29 | $15.12 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 257,582 | 250,354 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 23 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests. They prepare ingredients, cook them according to the recipe, and serve them to guests. They are responsible for ensuring that the food is prepared and served to guests within the promised time. They are in charge of managing the pantry, ensuring that the stock is fresh, and checking whether the stock is low. They are expected to have culinary skills, precision, and time management skills.
A kitchen cook prepares food for customers. Kitchen cooks help devise new menu items and methods of cooking. Their duties are to prepare food before the arrival of guests, manage employees in the kitchen, and season food according to recipe needs. They assist other cooks during the food assembly process, estimate food consumption, and organize preparation. They keep records and accounts of food purchases, prepare any necessary sauce before the meal service begins, and so on. As kitchen cooks, they must excel in organizational skills, verbal communication, culinary arts, and kitchen equipment. They should be equipped with knowledge of international cuisines, butchering, and basic computational skills.
Cook/servers and kitchen cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook/Server | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average salary | $29,716 | $31,452 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | The Harley School | Hilltop Ski Area |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a cook/server and a kitchen cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook/Server | Kitchen Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cook/servers' and kitchen cooks' demographics:
| Cook/Server | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average age | 23 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |